Gymnasium floors: they're not just for sports anymore.

Devising a game plan for a quality opponent demands meticulous planning. Coaches have to tap into all their resources to ensure the proper preparation and the fullest use of the team potential.

The same kind of planning is required in the refinishing or replacement of a gymnasium floor. Without asking the right questions and developing a solid blueprint, the coach/athletic director may have his architectural blueprint turn into a paper towel overnight.

Fortunately for school administrators, experts abound in the field of wood and synthetic flooring. Whether you are building a multipurpose facility or simply refinishing a basketball-only floor, you have many products to choose from and maintenance issues to contend with in ensuring the safety of the user and the maximal use of the floor.

As academic institutions continue to fight the battle of the budget, more and more administrators are discovering the viability of turning their gymnasiums into multi-use facilities. Whether hosting a graduation ceremony, school lunches or community events, gym floors are not just for sports anymore.

What is the most important question posed by the manufacturer, distributor or installer of flooring products in the sale of a floor surface? Answer: What will the floor be used for? This most basic of questions will determine the success of the purchasing experience.

Money will play an important role in your choice of a floor, but the overriding concern should be the safety of your students. Floors that do not provide the proper safety features such as proper shock absorption, can cause long-term injuries.

So what is the right surface for your school's needs - maple flooring or a synthetic surface? First, however, you have to find a manufacturer you can work with, a sales representative you can trust, and a knowledgeable installer. They will help educate you and save you time, money, and heartache.

"Before buying a gymnasium floor," advises Ron Fenhaus, sales representative for Superior Floor Co., "you have to ask what exactly are you going to use the floor for? Will it be just for basketball or will it be used as an all-purpose facility?

"And how about the age group using the floor? Usually the younger the age group, the softer the floor will have to be. It will require a lot of give for bodies that are still developing.

"One other key question that must be asked is the life expectancy of the building. There's no sense picking out wood and a flooring system with a 40-year life expectancy, when the anticipated life of the building is only 20 years?"

To gauge the quality of a floor, the prospective buyer can utilize the DIN Standards, observed by flooring manufacturers the world over. Developed in Germany as a means of testing the interaction between participants and standards of the particular sports surface, the DIN Standards ensure the presence of such positive characteristics as: Shock Absorption, Vertical Deflection & Area of Deflection, Ball Bounce, Surface Friction and Rolling Load

SHOCK ABSORPTION

Shock absorption is translated into two resultant forces, one absorbed by the floor and the other returned to the floor. According to the Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association (MFMA), hard surfaces such as concrete provide little or no force reduction for the athlete upon impact, while wood surfaces absorb these impact forces (shock) such as running, jumping or falling.

DEFLECTION

Vertical and Area Deflection is a measure of the system's ability to provide vertical deflection for athletes performing in close proximity to each other, such as two basketball players jumping for a rebound.

BALL BOUNCE

Ball Bounce is the measurement of a basketball's response rebounding off a floor surface and rebounding off a hard surface.

SURFACE FRICTION

Surface Friction is used to measure a floor's ability to control the sliding of athletes on its surface. The surface friction must be high enough to prevent premature and uncontrollable sliding, but low enough to permit sliding whenever extreme force is exerted upon an athlete.

"What is so important for a coach or any other school administrator is understanding the DIN system," says John Donati of Centaur Floor Systems, a distributor of wood and synthetic flooring based in Santa Barbara, CA. "When a coach asks about the resiliency of the ball bounce in relation to DIN certification, he or she would really know what that means.

"That understanding will go a long way in helping them make their decision on what floor is best for their program."

Perhaps the most important step a school administration can take in choosing a flooring system is deciding upon the decision-makers. A superintendent, business manager, principal, coach and maintenance worker can cover the financial, administrative, athletic, and after-care requirements of a new gymnasium or floor.

Working together, they can hire an architect and contractor if necessary, and an installer, unless one is recommended by the flooring manufacturer.

THE KIOWA PROJECT

Greg Kruthaupt, the superintendent of the Kiowa H.S. District in Kiowa, CO, knows how organization and a well-laid plan can unite a community and assist in a major building project.

A task force of community members was formed to help determine the kind of facility that would best serve its 350-student district. Taking into account the need for its physical education classes, athletic programs, and community events, a decision was made to build an 11,000-square foot gymnasium made of maple flooring.

"I had very little experience in the area of building and construction, but I talked to a lot of people and much of their expertise went into the decisions we made," says Kruthaupt.

The gymnasium, which was completed in the summer of 1997, consists of first-grade maple flooring by Superior Flooring and was installed by Dan Thorpe of Soutwestern Sports Floors of Tempe, AZ, a Superior distributor.

This project was unique in that the Kiowa school district installed a blower system - the only one of its kind - under the floor to help eliminate any moisture buildup to prevent the wood from being damaged by wetness. The entire process took nearly 18 months to complete, but the fruits of their labor paid off.

"It is so important for all the people involved in the process to understand the needs of the students," Kruthaupt continues. "Talk to people who have recently built a gymnasium, talk to architects, contractors, and principals. And begin talking to suppliers. They can really help educate you."

Selecting a flooring system that best suits your school's needs, whether it's wood or synthetic, can be an arduous process that requires patience and attention to detail. Many options are available, thanks to the fact that manufacturers have to cater to specific athletic needs, financial budgets, and architectural specifications.

"Coaches have to be very interested in key elements of the floor's capabilities," explains Dan Thorpe. "They should find out if the floor has good cushioning, good rebound energy, and bounce, and if it has dead spots. The question of fatigue and minor injuries should also be definitely looked into."

FLOORING

According to the MFMA, four basic flooring systems are available: Sleeper, Double Plywood, Nail-In, and Channel and Clip. Within each system are options that expand the floors potential.

For instance, Robbins Sports Surfaces of Cincinnati, OH., offers a showroom in which prospective buyers can experience the 8-10 types of maple and synthetic flooring systems, plus the options within the options. The grade of wood (first, second and better, or third and better), thickness, and width - must also be determined.

Robbins highly recommends that the entire decision-making staff take part in the tour. Visitors to the showroom can actually jump up and down on their surfaces to experience the subtleties in the systems.

SYNTHETIC SURFACES

While maple flooring has been the industry leader in traditional gymnasium and basketball flooring, synthetic surfaces have made great strides. Offering competitive prices, nearly maintenance-free surfaces, and ease of installation, the synthetics are a major player in the battle for gym flooring.

Sport Court, based in Salt Lake City, UT., offers four polypropylene surfaces for indoor and outdoor use. Like many of its wood-manufacturing counterparts, Sport Court and other synthetic manufacturers offer a wide-variety of floor-system options such as suspended systems and sport-specific floors.

Sport Court, which has installed systems primarily for volleyball and multi-purpose facilities, is focusing greater attention on the basketball-only gymnasium market, and it competitors are following suit.

Once a floor is in place, the daily responsibility of maintaining the surface becomes tantamount to its life expectancy. Synthetic surfaces are less susceptible to climate changes unlike wood, which must be monitored more closely for buckling, tightening, shrinkage, and moisture damage.

"Besides cleaning with a dust mop every day, our surface has to be cleaned with a chemical solution twice a month," says Anthony Cordova, national sales advisor for Sport Court.

"It's pretty simple to control dirt and grit. When the floor starts to build a layer of oil, you can run a mop over it," explains Doug Clairmont, sales manager for Action Floor Systems, a maple wood manufacturer located in Mercer, WI. "It's simple conservation. How often you clean the floor depends on how often the floor is used."

LIFE EXPECTANCY

Many factors go into the life expectancy of wood and synthetic floors. The level of competition played on the floor, climate, type of activities, and daily maintenance all play key roles in the floor's life span.

The MFMA contends that a quality flooring system, with proper maintenance, can last nearly 40 years. That includes a major sanding, sealing and resurfacing once every 10 years.

The life span can be extended by taking the daily steps of sweeping, wiping up spills, removing heel marks, and making sure the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems are working properly and inspecting the floor for tightening or shrinkage.

The MFMA also provides a comprehensive list of floor sealers, a finish list, and the specifications for heavy-duty gymnasium sealers and finishers for maple, beech, and birch floors.

Other synthetic floor manufacturers, like Lonseal Inc., out of Carson, CA, and Taraflex, an Atlanta-based company, are extolling the virtues of the surface's pain-free maintenance. Like no-wax floors, these vinyl and propylene floors need an occasional dust mopping every other day.

A basic soap-and-water solution will usually provide a thorough cleaning. Most manufacturers sell a chemical solution for the hard-to-remove stains.

Clint Hunt, manager of activity at West Texas A&M's athletic center, understands the responsibilities of overseeing a multi-purpose facility. Last December, the school installed Sport Court in its 27,000 square-foot facility. The surface handles the rigors of nearly 600 athletes (students and the public) playing volleyball, basketball, and badminton, on a daily basis.

"Our facility is built underground so that the moisture prevented us from putting in wood. But we are very happy," Clint Hunt says. "We clean it three to four times a week with the automatic floor scrubber that injects water into the surface and then extracts it. The floor should have a life expectancy of 25-30 years with proper daily maintenance."

FLOOR COVERING

As more schools utilize their gymnasiums as multi-purpose venues, they are learning about the economic rewards in protecting the floor's surface. Covering floors against street-shoe traffic is vital in maintaining their condition. Scuffing from dragging feet, high-heel marks, and general dings and nicks can cause irregular wear and tear.

The advent of floor coverings, like those produced by Taraflex and CoverMaster of Rexdale, Ont., have aided schools in maximizing their space.

Designed for gymnasium floors that host non-athletic events, the covers are flame retardant and resistant to rot, mildew, and bacterial growth.

CoverMaster can manufacture its vinyl-coated polyester fabric in any length or width, but sections are generally designed in 10-foot wide pieces for easy handling by two people. The sections are overlapped to prevent any seepage from spilled liquids or leaks.

A roller system makes installation and removal easy with no manual lifting. After the sections are rolled back onto the roller system, they can be stored away and kept available for the next event. Most covers come in a variety of colors, some with reversible sides for particular events.

Whether you're building a new gymnasium or resurfacing your existing floor, asking the right questions will make the experience an educational one. Wood and synthetic surfaces offer their own unique advantages, and only you and your administration will know what is best for your school and its students.

"The most important part of what I do is create trust and impart the right knowledge to my clients," says Lou Bosco, sales manager for Horner Flooring Co. "I have a system that I can recommend and they want to spend more money, I can offer something special for that."